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Evening Star, Issue 24326, 15 October 1942, Page 4

The vote of no-confideuce in the Government, moved by Mr Holland, overshadowed everything else when the House of Representatives resumed its session yesterday. Mr Holland was supported by Mr Doidge, and on the Government side the Prime Minister and the Minister of Mines (Mr Webb) spoke before the adjournment was taken this afternoon. Earlier in the day tributes were paid to four former legislators who died while the House was in recess—napiely, Hon. J. Goodall. Mr J. Vigor Brown, Mr F. Mander, and Mr W. D. Lysnar. Six Bills were introduced, the Finance Bill, the Local Legislation, Lands and Native Lands Washing-up Bills, the Women Jurors Bill, and the Medical Advertisements Bill.—Parliamentary reporter. Krefeld, which experienced another heavy R.A.F. bojnber attack recently, possesses interest to people who have made a study of American letters. It was in this Prussian towp, famous as the centre of the silk industry of Germany, that Bret Harte served as Consular representative of tjie United States from 1 STS to 1880. His duties included supervision of German silk exports to America. In letters to his wife, from whom he had parted previously in the United States, he wrote with enthusiasm of Krefeld. Harte was never to return to his own country. Ho died at his writing desk at Camberley, in England, in 1902. A towed barge containing all the furniture and personal effects of a young married couple sank in the Bay of Islands recently. Immediately a list was noticed; the foreman in charge of operations jumped off the barge and cut it loose. The barge turned on its side and then capsized. Portion of the 10 tons of cargo, including a coat containing money, floated away. Dragging operations are to be carried out in an effort to recover building material and other irreplaceable goods.

Our Parliamentary reporter tele-' graphs: Among other clauses in the Finance Bill, most of which are of a ijiachincry nature, is one authorising the refund of a portion of the sales tax paid in respect to materials used in the manufacture of goods subject to a lower rate of sales tax. This applies particularly to clothing, which is subject to a 10 per cent, sales tax on the finished article and to 20 per cent, on the material. The clause will therefore reduce the tax on materia! to 10 per cent, when it is used in manufacture. Authority is also given to the Commissioner of Taxes to refund instalments of social security and national security taxation in cases of hardship. The Minister of Railways (Mr Semple) announced that a further section of 20 miles of the South Island Main Trunk railway from Picton to Clarence was being taken over by his department, which will commence on Monday a through service, the rail sections being linked by car between Clarence and Hundalee, advises our Wellington correspondent. There will be a daily service, excepting Sundays, trains leaving Picton at 6.30. a.in. and arriving at Christchurch at 5.51 p.m.. leaving Christchurch at 8.20 a.m. and arriving at Blenheim at 0.5 p.tn. Mr Semple stated that it was estimated that this co-ordinated service would result in a yearly saving of 99.710 car miles, ll.OOOgal of petrol, and 00 tyres, apart from the possibility of further savings when other services in the locality are reviewed. Men in overseas units of the Army are now being released for shearing, stated the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Barclay) in a telegram received to-day by the North Canterbury District Council of Primary Production. Mr Barclay said he had made representations on the council’s behalf to the National Service Department, which had advised him to this effect. The secretary of the Canterbury Production Council said last night that the shear-.: ing situation in the province was extremely difficult. The information from the Minister might ease the situation, but would not solve the sheep owners’ difficulties entirely. Rearrangements of the front bench Opposition seats in the House of Representatives have been made. Mr Poison is taking the place of Mr Hamilton, who formerly sat in the same seat as the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Hamilton moves into another front seat in place of Sir A. Ransom, who moves into the front bench seat vacated by Mr Kyle, who is going to the cross bench with Mr Lee. Mr Coates’s front bench place is unchanged.—Own reporter. The report of the Diocesan Missionary Committee presented to the Synod on Tuesday evening states that an idea that the war has largely reduced the work of certain missions in which this province is financially interested, and that therefore there is not the same need for support, has been expressed by some. This reduction of missionary activities is only true of Melanesia, and that temporarily. As soon as peace is secured there will be need of increasing the staff, and of large expenditure for restoration of damaged properties, so that it is very advisable to build up now a reserve fund for this mission, to ■help to provide for such reconstruction. In Polynesia more money is needed to provide for work amongst the 80,000 Indians now in that diocese, and a considerable extension of work in the province of Sind. India, is being undertaken by the New Zealand Church Missionary Society at the urgent request of the parent society. Moreover, all missionaries in China are continuing their work and are being paid through the Swiss Consulates and the Imperial Government. In the Police Court this morning, before Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., Franz William Petterson, a Norwegian, aged 28, second officer on an overseas vessel, was charged that, being a prohibited immigrant, he landed in New Zealand without a permit. Mr O. G. Stevens stated for Petterson that lie came ashore _ with the knowledge of the ship’s captain to seek medical attention. After hearing the facts the magistrate remanded Pettersou until October 23, bail being granted in self £SO and one surety of £SO, the defendant to report daily to the police. Judgment by default, with costs, was ontfred for W. J. Allpress and Co. against F. R. MacDonald (Mataura) for £3 18s 4d, for goods supplied, in the Magistrate’s Court this morning by Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M. The drone of aeroplanes, the crack of anti-aircraft guns, and the bursting of live shells overhead yesterday afternoon and this morning brought home to residents of the Flat a slight idea of what actually takes place when antiaircraft defences open out against attacking raiders. It was all part of live shell practice carried out by local anti-aircraft units in the vicinity of the beach. Aircraft towing targets flew at varying heights overhead, while the guns opened fire on the targets, which were a considerable distance to the rear of the machines. As the shells burst about the , targets and puffs of black smoke dissolved into the blue there was something spectacular about the proceedings, and civilian “ observation posts ” were set up at many points on the Flat. The shells were all fired seawards, so that there was no danger of shrapnel falling in the populated areas. The first of the uniforms to be worn by women employed in the Army in the local area have now been distributed, four women having been issued with them. Those uniforms, the first to be worn in Otago, are very smart and are of a two-piece costume tailoring. With the uniform are issued an overcoat, equally smart, two pairs of brown shoes, two pairs of stockings, glengarry, gloves, and jersey. Later a dress hat will be issued, and a daily working dress also. Of the women so far in uniform, three are attached to the transport section and one is in the records office at the Drill Hall.